The short answer
A 5x10 foot unit is 4.6 m² of floor and holds about 8.4 m³ at a realistic stacking height of 1.8 m, or roughly 7.1 m³ you can actually fill. That is a studio flat's furniture and some boxes. It is not a one-bedroom flat, which averages about 15 m³.
A 5×10 unit in square metres and cubic metres
Five feet by ten feet is 50 square feet of floor. In metric that is 1.52 m by 3.05 m, or 4.6 m². Volume needs a height, and nobody stacks to the ceiling across the whole floor, so the honest answer is a range:
| Unit | Floor | Volume at 1.8 m | At 2.0 m | At 2.4 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5×5 (25 sq ft) | 2.3 m² | 4.2 m³ | 4.6 m³ | 5.6 m³ |
| 5×10 (50 sq ft) | 4.6 m² | 8.4 m³ | 9.3 m³ | 11.1 m³ |
| 10×10 (100 sq ft) | 9.3 m² | 16.7 m³ | 18.6 m³ | 22.3 m³ |
| 10×15 (150 sq ft) | 13.9 m² | 25.1 m³ | 27.9 m³ | 33.4 m³ |
| 10×20 (200 sq ft) | 18.6 m² | 33.4 m³ | 37.2 m³ | 44.6 m³ |
Cubic metres are CBM, the same unit freight and removals companies use. The 2.4 m column is the ceiling, which is a ceiling you will not reach. We use 1.8 m as the realistic stack, and our square feet to CBM converter lets you check any other floor area.
What that means in furniture
Volume on paper is not volume in use. Sofas, mattresses and fridges cannot take weight on top, and you need a path to get to the back. We plan on about 85% of the space being usable, which turns the 8.4 m³ of a 5×10 at 1.8 m into roughly 7.1 m³.
Here is a studio’s worth of furniture, using the packed volumes from the size guide:
| Item | Packed volume |
|---|---|
| King bed and mattress | 1.80 m³ |
| Three-seater sofa | 1.40 m³ |
| Two-door wardrobe | 1.20 m³ |
| Chest of drawers | 0.60 m³ |
| TV unit | 0.55 m³ |
| Coffee table | 0.30 m³ |
| 12 medium boxes (0.08 m³ each) | 0.96 m³ |
| Total | 6.81 m³ |
That is 6.81 m³ going into about 7.1 m³ of usable space. It fits, with about 0.3 m³ to spare. Add a dining table (1.00 m³) and four chairs (0.60 m³) and it does not.
What a 5×10 will not hold
A one-bedroom flat averages about 15 m³ on our size guide, which is nearly twice what a 5×10 offers at a realistic stack. Two bedrooms is about 25 m³. If you are moving a whole flat, a 5×10 is the wrong end of the scale.
If you want to see the same job in the units we deal with, the five sizes run from a 0.63 m³ Mini to a 9.30 m³ XL. One XL has almost exactly the volume of a 5×10 at 2.0 m. That is the quickest way to picture it: a 5×10 is about one XL.
The bigger floor areas, in usable cubic metres
The same 85% rule applied to the larger sizes in the table above, at a 1.8 m stack:
| Unit | Usable volume | What that is in homes |
|---|---|---|
| 10×10 (100 sq ft) | 14.2 m³ | About a one-bedroom flat, if you count it item by item |
| 10×15 (150 sq ft) | 21.3 m³ | A two-bedroom flat counted item by item (about 18 m³) |
| 10×20 (200 sq ft) | 28.4 m³ | A two-bedroom flat on the property averages (about 25 m³) |
Property averages run high from two bedrooms up, so a flat you have counted piece by piece usually needs less than the average suggests. That gap can be a whole unit.
How to check your own pile
- List the large pieces first. They decide the count.
- Add boxes last, at 0.08 m³ for a medium and 0.12 m³ for a large.
- Compare the total with 85% of the volume at 1.8 m. For a 5×10 that is 7.1 m³.
- If you are within 10% either way, size up. A unit that is one box too small costs more than a unit that is one box too big.
The storage unit size calculator does steps one to three for you, room by room. Print the cheat sheet below if you want the conversion table and the five unit sizes on one page.
Questions about 5×10 storage units
How many cubic metres is a 5×10 storage unit?
A 5×10 foot unit has 4.6 m² of floor. At a realistic stacking height of 1.8 m that is 8.4 m³, and at 2.0 m it is 9.3 m³. Its full ceiling height gives a higher number, but few people can fill a unit to the ceiling.
How many boxes fit in a 5×10 storage unit?
If it held nothing but medium boxes, 7.1 m³ of usable space divided by 0.08 m³ each is about 88 boxes. Real loads include furniture and an aisle, so expect fewer. Count the large pieces first, then see how many boxes the rest will take.
Will a one-bedroom flat fit in a 5×10 storage unit?
Usually not. Our size guide puts a one-bedroom at about 15 m³, against roughly 7.1 m³ usable in a 5×10. A studio, or a few rooms of furniture, fits. For a full flat, count the units in cubic metres instead.
What is the difference between a 5×10 and a 10×10 unit?
A 10×10 has twice the floor, 9.3 m² against 4.6 m², and so twice the volume at any given stacking height. At 1.8 m that is 16.7 m³ against 8.4 m³.
